News and Stories
Master Training Program Builds Momentum in Malawi
A recent training session showed that skills such as mentoring, proficiency in giving effective feedback, and being able to assess patient experiences accurately can be as vital to quality care as medical equipment and resources.
Type 1 Diabetes Study in Liberia Shows Value of Patient Education and Peer Support
A recently published study found that patient education and peer support helped people living with type 1 diabetes in rural Liberia manage their disease. “Their extra barriers to health,” said Dr. Alma Adler, the Network’s research director, “make it even more critical for patients in low-resource settings to gain both problem-solving skills and a strong clinical understanding of their condition.”
Partners In Health Details a PEN-Plus Clinic Opening in Sierra Leone
An audience of patients, clinicians, Ministry of Health officials, and community members recently gathered to celebrate a historic milestone for Sierra Leone: the launch of a purpose-built PEN-Plus clinic at Koidu Government Hospital. Partners In Health, the implementing partner for PEN-Plus in Koidu, has published an account of the clinic’s services.
Courage and Clarity: Haiti Publishes NCD Report Despite Obstacles
More than 150 people recently gathered in Port-au-Prince for the formal launch of Haiti’s NCDI Poverty Commission report on noncommunicable diseases, injuries, and poverty. The updated and expanded report, which Commission members began drafting in 2019, represents the country’s commitment to health equity despite ongoing national challenges.
Crises Averted: The Story of Amza Musa
Eight-year-old Amza Musa receives free treatment for his sickle cell disease at the PEN-Plus clinic at Koidu Government Hospital in eastern Sierra Leone.
Youth Camps Bring Support Beyond Clinical Care
Camps that bring together young people living with a severe noncommunicable disease are showing that the benefits of integrated care can extend far beyond clinical settings. The first such camps—held this year in Rwanda and Zimbabwe—hosted young people with type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, and childhood heart disease.
Malawi Study Shows Community Health Worker Programs Can Help Expand Noncommunicable Disease and Antenatal Care
The stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial evaluated expanding an existing HIV and tuberculosis community health worker program to include NCDs, malnutrition, and tuberculosis screening, as well as family planning and antenatal care.
Malawi Launches Operational Plan for National Scale-Up of PEN-Plus
On May 27, 2021, Malawi took a major step toward national scale-up of integrated chronic care services at district hospitals for severe NCDs affected children and young adults with the official launch of its PEN-Plus Operational Plan.